What Do the 3 Lost Parables Reveal about the Heart of Jesus?

"Has there been another person in human history with a larger impact than Jesus? According to evidence spanning the last two millennia, the answer is no. Jesus of Nazareth has been the most historically significant person in the world from the dawn of civilization to the present day." Titus Kennedy

History proves that the birth of Jesus changed our world. Jesus' birth turned the world upside down and left us with a life-changing and profound message at the heart of this holiday season. The lost are found at Christmas.

"The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" Matthew 1:23

Jesus himself gives us his purpose statement in Luke.

"For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost." Luke 19:10

Lost things matter to God. Luke 15 is an exciting passage of Scripture. First, Jesus tells three parables in a row, three stories with an underlying spiritual meaning. Jesus constantly told parables as a way of teaching spiritual lessons. Only once does he tell three parables in a row, and all three of these parables teach the same lesson.

The Lost Parables:

• The lost sheep.
• The lost coin.
• The lost child.

First, Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep. Then, he invites those he is teaching to imagine that they are shepherds with a flock of 100 sheep, and one goes missing. "What would a shepherd do?" he asks. Jesus reminds them of what they knew - a good shepherd will always leave the 99 to search for the lost one. When the lost sheep is found, they celebrate its return!

Jesus next tells the parable of a woman who owns ten coins. Each coin is worth about a day's wages, so it is a big deal when she loses one. Jesus rhetorically asks, "Won't she search the house to find the missing coin?" Of course, she would! She searches until she finds it!

The third story Jesus tells is about the young man who leaves home and gets lost in his journey to find himself. His father never quits waiting for him to come home, and when the lost son finally returns, the father throws a party for the whole community.

At the heart of Jesus' teaching is the truth that lost things matter to him. Therefore, lost things must be found.

Luke 19 tells the story of a man who was lost and then found. Zacchaeus lived in Jericho and was the chief tax collector. The Roman Empire occupied Jericho, where its inhabitants were required to pay excessive taxes to the Roman Empire. Zacchaeus collected taxes and was considered an ally of and someone who represented cooperation with oppressive forces. No one liked Zacchaeus. He was the epitome of all the things from which the Jewish people wanted to be free. As Jesus approached the town where Zacchaeus lived, news of his arrival preceded him. The city was so excited that Jesus, the healer, and teacher, was coming to their town. Zaccheus was a short man who climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus.

"When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.' So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly." Luke 19:5-6

I love this part of the story. Jesus saw Zacchaeus up in the tree and stopped. Jesus then invited himself over to Zacchaeus' house for dinner. Wow! What an unexpected interaction!

1. In Jesus' day, you did not invite yourself to someone else's house.
2. Jesus was a rabbi and a holy man, and Zacchaeus was considered a sinner.
3. Jesus was Jewish and probably saw Zacchaeus as a collaborator with the enemy.

All of this is very unusual, but Zacchaeus enthusiastically welcomed him despite that. And Jesus found Zacchaeus.

But here is the thing: I doubt Zacchaeus even realized that he was lost. Let me repeat that thought. Jesus found Zacchaeus, but I doubt that Zacchaeus even realized he was lost. Can you relate to that line of thinking? I can. I can make a great plan and ask Jesus to sign off on it. When that happens, I am lost. But Jesus has a way of finding me and helping me find my way back home.

In August of 2012, a crazy news story was reported by CBS news. A woman was reported missing during a bus tour excursion to see a volcanic canyon in Iceland. During one of the stops, the woman got off the bus to change clothes. The bus driver counted his passengers and realized she was missing. So he filed a missing person report with the police. The woman, who has now changed clothes, later rejoins the group and helps with the search. It was not until hours later that the woman realized she was the one for whom they were looking. Google it – true story.

What does it mean to be lost? What kind of person was Jesus looking for when he said he came to seek the lost? The answer may be a surprising one.

Zacchaeus was lost because he was not following the truths of Jesus. So, Jesus pursued Zaccheus and captured his heart. Zacchaeus soon demonstrated this radical reorientation he had experienced. His world turned upside down! He stood up at the dinner that Jesus invited himself to and announced:

"Look, Lord! Here and now, I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Luke 19:8

The pledge of Zacchaeus went well beyond what their law required for repayment of theft. Instead, Zaccheus demonstrated the very definition of repentance, surrendering his life to Jesus.

Zacchaeus had been moving away from Jesus, but after meeting Jesus, he began to move toward Jesus instead.

"Jesus said to him, 'Today, salvation has come to this house because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'" Luke 19:9-10

Jesus saw the change in Zacchaeus and saw that he had led his family to salvation. He became a Christ-follower! Jesus came to seek and save the lost, which is what he did for Zacchaeus and his family.

Are you lost? A lost person has no relationship with Jesus Christ and has never surrendered their life to Jesus. But a believer can also lose his way, like the prodigal son. Yes, he is still a believer but has somehow lost his way in following Christ. There are many ways we can find ourselves lost. Some of us are lost and know it, while others are lost and don't know it. But we are lost anytime we choose to follow anyone or crave anything but Jesus Christ.

We can put "in God we trust" on our money and claim to be a country founded on Christian principles, but if we, as a nation, have moved away from the path God has for us, we have lost our way. And that is where we find ourselves today as a country.

On a personal note, nothing and no one can separate us from the love of God when we have a personal relationship with him. Sin can hurt our fellowship with God but cannot eliminate that relationship.

At the heart of Christmas is the message that no matter where we are, Jesus is aware and wants to find us. Being found and following Jesus is moving (that is the key word) closer and closer to the person, priorities, and practices of Jesus.

Which one do you choose to move toward this Christmas?

• Person of Jesus – it starts with an explicit declaration that you want to draw close and follow the person of Jesus. That happens when you come to him in total surrender.
• Priorities of Jesus – you make his priorities your priorities. Choosing to love God first and to love others as you love yourself.
• Practices of Jesus – and you begin to practice what Jesus practiced daily.

The Christmas holidays are upon us. This year, let's celebrate the good news that Jesus seeks and saves the lost. That is the heart of Jesus. Emmanuel – King of Kings and Lord of Lords – come to turn our world upside down and save us. What a gift! What a Savior!

Mary Southerland is also the Co-founder of Girlfriends in God, a conference and devotion ministry for women. Mary’s books include, Hope in the Midst of Depression, Sandpaper People, Escaping the Stress Trap, Experiencing God’s Power in Your Ministry, 10-Day Trust Adventure, You Make Me So Angry, How to Study the Bible, Fit for Life, Joy for the Journey, and Life Is So Daily. Mary relishes her ministry as a wife, a mother to their two children, Jered and Danna, and Mimi to her six grandchildren – Jaydan, Lelia, Justus, Hudson, Mo, and Nori.